Clothes-pin.



12.11). TIGHENOR. CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 2, 1908.

90752. Patented Dec. 22, 1908.- I

' i/MMZZ//f/l unirsi) srn'rns PATENT onirica.

EUGENE D. TICHENOR, OF RICHLAND CENTER, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY C. PALMER, OF RICHLAND CENTER, WISCONSIN.

.CLOTHES-PIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application led April 2, 1908. Serial No. 424,827.

To all whom it' may concern.'

Beit known that I, EUGENE D. TrcnENon, a citizen of the lUnited States, residing at Richland Center, in the county of Richland and State of TWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Pin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clothes fasteners, such as are used to retain clothes on a line or other support for drying purposes.

It has for its object to provide a means which will securely retain the garments without tearing or otherwise mutilating the same. It is well known that with most devices of this kind now in use, considerable turning of the garments is required in order to securely fasten the latter in place. T his involves considerable loss of time by the opw erator, and has the further disadvantage of a liability of becoming disengaged from the pin. during high winds when the clothes are more or less blown in every direction.

The present invention aims to remedy this defect by so constructing the parts that one movement on the part of the operator will result in securely fastening the device to a garment and another movement will lock the fastening means.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter' appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :vEigure l is a perspective view of the device applied to the ordinary clothes line. Fig. 2 is a longi tudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the fastening member.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The pin proper consists of a wire or metallic rod centrally bent so as to form a keeper 1 of approximate triangular shape and a line attaching member 2 of substantially U shape. The terminals of the U shaped member are curved outwardly and inwardly forming eyes 3 adapted to encircle a wire or rope clothes line 4, thus permanently securing the device to the clothes line at all times.

rThe fastening member is preferably formed of a single piece of wire or other suitable material intermediately bent so as to form a central loop or head 5 and turned at right angles to the shank 6, which is convoluted, having the end sections turned at right angles and terminating in eyes 7 adapted to embrace each arm of the U-shaped attaching member. The fastening member is of the approximate length of the U-shaped attaching member and is designed to slidingly fit thereon. The head 5 is of considerably less width than the triangular shaped keeper at its base, so as to enable the former to enter the space formed by the walls ol the latter for a purpose to be presently described.

A locking piece is shown in the present instance constructed of a single piece of spring wire or other resilient material and having an eye 8 formed on one end of an arm 10 and adapted to embrace the clothes line 4 and at its central portion is provided with two or more turns so as to form a coiled spring 9 and terminating in an arm l1 disposed at an acute angle to the arm l0, and adjacent its free end is bent so as to form a socket 12 adapted to fit the crotch formed by the terminals of the fastening member.

In the use of the device, one corner of the garment to be suspended is inserted between the walls of the keeper. The head 5 of the fastening member is interposed between the garment and base of the keeper. The latter can then be forced downward between the walls by applying pressure to the shank. This movement forces the garment into the narrow space at the head of the keeper, and at the same time fastens the shoulder 12 carrying the head 5 between the walls thereof. The fastening member is thus secured against lateral movement in this position, and under ordinary circumstances will retain the clothes. However, in order to increase the efficiency of the fastening member, and guard against longitudinal movement of the same during high winds, a locking iece interposed between the arms of the U-sffaped attaching member is turned against the action vof its spring 9 and the socket 12 brought to bear on the fastening member, as shown in Eig. 2. With this construction it is obvious that IOS both lateral and longitudinal movement of the fastening member is prevented.

What is claimed is 1. A clothes retainer having an attaching member and a keeper, a fastening member slidably mounted on the attaching member, and having a head on one end adapted to be engaged With the keeper, and a spring arranged for engagement with the fastening member after the same has been moved into engagement with the keeper to hold the same in such engagement.

2. A clothes retainer comprising asupporting member, a keeper member supported by the first mentioned member, a fastening member carried by the said keeper member and arranged to cooperate with the same to grip an article to be supported, and a resilient member pivoted to the first mentioned support and engageable with the fastening member to hold the same in clamping engagement With the keeper.

3. A clothes retainer comprising an attaching member and a keeper, a fastening means carried by the attaching member and adapted for engagement With the keeper, and a resilient Wire member provided with an off-set engageable with the fastening means to hold the same in engagement with the keeper.

4. A clothes retainer embodying an attaching member and a keeper, a fastening member, and a spring for holding the fastening member in contact With zthe keeper.

5. The combination With a clothes-line, of a member supported therefrom and provided With a keeper portion, a fastening means carried by the said member and engageable with the keeper portion to clamp an article to be supported, and means pivotally supported from the clothes-line and engageable With the fastening means for holding the the head thereof in engagement With the keeper.

7. In combination With a line or support, a clothes retainer embodying a U-shaped attaching member and an approximately triangular shaped keeper, a fastening member having lateral arms on one end adapted to embrace the attaching member and a head on the opposite end, a spring locking piece having one end encircling a line or support, and a socket on its opposite end adapted to bear on the lateral arms of the fastening member so as'to maintain the head of said member in contact With the Walls of the keeper.

In testimony that I vclaim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EUGENE D. TICHENOR.

Witnesses:

K. W. EASTLAND, D. C. WAIT. 

